| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith: know, to esteem each other.
MISS HARDCASTLE. (Aside.) Now for meeting my modest gentleman with a
demure face, and quite in his own manner. (After a pause, in which he
appears very uneasy and disconcerted.) I'm glad of your safe arrival,
sir. I'm told you had some accidents by the way.
MARLOW. Only a few, madam. Yes, we had some. Yes, madam, a good many
accidents, but should be sorry--madam--or rather glad of any
accidents--that are so agreeably concluded. Hem!
HASTINGS. (To him.) You never spoke better in your whole life. Keep
it up, and I'll insure you the victory.
MISS HARDCASTLE. I'm afraid you flatter, sir. You that have seen so
She Stoops to Conquer |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum: tree with such wide-spreading branches that there was room for the
party to pass underneath. So he walked forward to the tree, but
just as he came under the first branches they bent down and twined
around him, and the next minute he was raised from the ground and
flung headlong among his fellow travelers.
This did not hurt the Scarecrow, but it surprised him, and he
looked rather dizzy when Dorothy picked him up.
"Here is another space between the trees," called the Lion.
"Let me try it first," said the Scarecrow, "for it doesn't hurt
me to get thrown about." He walked up to another tree, as he spoke,
but its branches immediately seized him and tossed him back again.
The Wizard of Oz |
| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from The Lesson of the Master by Henry James: drawn from his intellectual instrument the finest music that nature
had hidden in it, of having played it as it should be played. He
either does that or he doesn't - and if he doesn't he isn't worth
speaking of. Therefore, precisely, those who really know DON'T
speak of him. He may still hear a great chatter, but what he hears
most is the incorruptible silence of Fame. I've squared her, you
may say, for my little hour - but what's my little hour? Don't
imagine for a moment," the Master pursued, "that I'm such a cad as
to have brought you down here to abuse or to complain of my wife to
you. She's a woman of distinguished qualities, to whom my
obligations are immense; so that, if you please, we'll say nothing
|
The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from The Light of Western Stars by Zane Grey: daid, an' people says thet Pat is a-goin' to lay thet killin'
onto Gene. I reckon thet's jest talk, though Pat is mean enough
to do it, if he hed the nerve. Anyway, if he was in El Cajon he
kept mighty much to hisself. Gene walked up an' down, up an'
down, all day an' night, lookin' fer Pat. But he didn't find
him. An', of course, he kept gettin' drunker. He jest got plumb
bad. He made lots of trouble, but there wasn't no gun-play.
Mebbe thet made him sore, so he went an' licked Flo's
brother-in-law. Thet wasn't so bad. Jack sure needed a good
lickin'. Wal, then Gene met Danny an' tried to get Danny drunk.
An' he couldn't! What do you think of that? Danny hedn't been
The Light of Western Stars |
